The Hunt
by Zeratide
Summary: Hadrian was a hunter, and he had a hunter's patience. To win her heart, he would do anything. Dragonborn/Aela


Hadrian Dark-Fire, a Nord, a warrior, and the Dragonborn, was a man of many talents. He had mastered his bloody craft; he forged his own weapons, wove his own enchantments, then used these to reave the heads of his enemies from their shoulders. In battle, he was fearless; during an Imperial Raid, he was sent ahead to defeat an ambush of Stormcloaks. The last man fell as the rest of the squad caught up. Only one thing ever made him feel weak.

"You'll make a fierce Companion. Let us hunt together sometime."

If Aela had known how he would take her words to heart, he likely would have wound up with her dagger in his spleen. A new warrior, he had known then that he needed someone behind him, and thus he had joined the Companions. With his shoulder-length black hair, strong chin, amber eyes, and war paint stretching from his eyes to his neck, he drew the eyes of many women. When he began to wear the Amulet of Mara to aid in his Restoration Magic, he turned down dozens of women, his eyes on one prize.

Aela knew he was a hunter; he had a hunter's patience.

He faced his baptism by fire when the two first raided the Silver Hand; he nearly died thrice watching the beauty of her fighting skills. The path her sweat ran across her skin, tantalizingly perfect, caused him to walk into a spiked door. Luckily for him, the blood covered the blush.

Months had passed, and when Kodlak died, the Circle had traveled to the grave of Ysgramor to free his soul. Facing the souls of Fallen Companions, Aela alone accompanied him to the Flame of the Harbinger. The beast soul was vanquished, and to his great surprise, Hadrian was named Harbinger. As Aela sat in the cave, taking in the history of the place, he returned to the world above, welcoming the soft warmth of the sun after so long in the shadows.

Another month passed, during which time he prepared to face Alduin. Traveling to Sovngarde itself, he faced the World-Eater, and finally destroyed it. With an ear-shattering Shout, Tsun transported him back to the land of the living. Alone of the Throat of the World, he stayed the night, meditating as he gazed at the beauty of the Skyrim night sky. He had a plan.

* * *

><p>A week after the defeat of Alduin, he strode through the halls of Jorrvaskr, searching for the she-wolf. Finally he found her, polishing one of her bows in her quarters. "What can I do for you, Harbinger?" she asked, looking up from her work as he walked in.<p>

"I was thinking of going for a hunt tonight. Would you care to join me?" he asked, knowing that she would be unable to refuse. Her eyes sparkled for a few moments, before she began gathering up her equipment, making extra sure she grabbed the best arrows. "I'll wait for you by the stables at midnight," he stated, turning to leave. "This is going to be the hunt of our lives."

Sure enough, Aela arrived precisely on time, as the twin moons reached their zeniths in the night sky. Their breaths fogged before their faces as they crept through the plains surrounding Whiterun, until they came into sight of Bleakwind Basin. "The giants?" she whispered, shock and awe transforming her features. "We're going to hit their mammoth herds?" Hadrian nodded, and a savage grin split both their faces as they silently drew their bows, creeping undetected through the camp. Finally, they came to the largest of the herd, and Hadrian quickly dipped his Daedric arrow into a poison he had prepared especially for this occasion. Combined with the numerous enchantments he had wrought on his Daedric bow, he was sure it would be able to take down the sluggish beast he had his sights on. Silently sneaking closer, he quickly took aim as the beast presented its side, and he let loose his arrow, the pronged tip sinking deep into the animal's heart.

The beast stumbled a few steps, before it trumpeted loudly, the giants quickly awakening. Swearing under his breath, Hadrian quickly shot another round at the beast, felling it with a loud crash. Quickly sheathing his bow, he turned to see Aela firing arrows at a giant charging her, and his eyes widened in fear. Charging forward, he felt his blood begin to boil, and he roared, leaping at the creature as he transformed into the Beast within. He had forgone armor in favor of some simple hunting clothes, and these shredded as his body rapidly expanded; all that remained was the Amulet of Mara dangling around his neck. His transformation completed as he fell upon the giant, and tore at its throat with his teeth before it finally succumbed. Blood dripping from his fangs, he turned to see Aela's transformed version slaughtering a mammoth, and he quickly took out the other giant too, howling in victory as it fell. A moment later, Aela's musical howl joined his own.

Turning to her, he growled slightly, his hackles rising. _My blood yet boils,_ he told her, flexing his powerful muscles. _Run with me,_ he asked her, and she gave him a wolfish grin. Going down on all fours, they charged through the plains of Skyrim, the wind blowing through their fur. His chest rumbled with each breath, and a shiver ran up his spine whenever his paws hit the ground. Reveling in the savage joy in both his wolf and Nord blood, he didn't stop until they made it to Lake Honrich, right outside Riften's gates.

Panting deeply, he groaned as he transformed back into a human, feeling the familiar pressure on his bones as he shrank to his normal size. As the cool air hit his naked body, he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, turning to watch as Aela transformed back. His blood yet burned, affecting certain parts of his anatomy, and it seemed to burn hotter as he took in her own nude form, watching a bead of sweat roll down the valley of her breasts. "I yet have energy left, my Harbinger," she said in her melodic voice, licking her lips slightly as her gaze delved lower. Grinning, he turned toward the lake and dove into the frigid waters, his Nord blood keeping him warm. He broke the surface of the water a moment later, and lazily swum around as he watched Aela do the same.

* * *

><p>After an hour or so, they swam to one of the small islands in the lake, lying next to each other. They lay there silently for several minutes, until Aela rolled onto her side, reaching to grasp the Amulet of Mara around his neck. "An Amulet of Mara… you're looking for marriage then?" she asked, tracing the swirls with her thumb.<p>

"Interested in me, are you?" he asked calmly, despite his heart pounding in his chest. _Any louder and her ears are sure to hear it,_ he thought.

"Won't lie, I am. And you?" she asked, nervousness flitting across her features. Taking a deep breath, he smiled, before repeating her words. Smiling, she pulled him close to her, whispering in his ear. "Then it's settled. You and me." So having said, she pressed her lips to his, before he deepened the kiss hungrily. Rolling on top of her, he placed feather-light kisses down her neck, followed by her sternum, then her breasts. She gasped as his hands, scarred and calloused from his gauntlets, swords, and shields began to knead the soft mounds. Raking her nails across her back, she left scratches across the knotted muscle. He growled, a deep, throaty sound, and she shivered slightly. Once her hands were firmly knotted in his hair, he gently teased himself against her sopping folds, and she nodded, biting her lip.

A quick thrust into her had them both suddenly begin shaking, their pupils contracting into amber slits. Animalistic instinct took over, and he roared as he began pounding into her, and she moved against him, increasing his penetration. They were Companions, after all; their lives were violence, so why should their love-making be different? They continued, on and on, incessantly until the sun began to rise. They came together on the island, and found themselves addicted. The next day, they were joined before Mara.

Hadrian was a hunter. He had a hunter's patience, and with it, he had won his greatest pride.

* * *

><p>Well, there you are guys! I recently played Skyrim, which is one reason it took so long for my other stories to be updated. Anyone who has ever played the game knows what I'm talking about. Well, let me know what you guys thought!<p>

-Zeratide, out.


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